Sussex Police urge 'Sixty Seconds' security plans

Chief Superintendent Neil Honnor, Head of Surrey and Sussex Operations Command, said; "We are asking shoppers and businesses to put security at the top of their ‘must have’ lists this Christmas.

"While there is no known increased threat to busy town and city centres across our two counties or elsewhere, people flocking to stock up on Christmas gifts will see police working alongside security personnel to encourage everyone to remain vigilant and report anything suspicious."

"Whatever the motivations behind the recent tragic Strasbourg attack prove to be, we should take it as a reminder that the threats we are trying to prevent are ever-present."

With the festive rush about to get underway, Counter Terrorism Policing has launched its biggest-ever winter advertising campaign as part of ACT: Action Counters Terrorism.

Experts from Counter Terrorism Policing will be asking retailers and other businesses who operate in crowded places to think about their contingency plans, asking them to draw up a ‘Sixty Second Security’ plan which has the power to improve their reaction to emergencies.

Across the country, security messaging will appear on advertising boards and digital screens around crowded Christmas events and key shopping locations, reminding the public about the crucial role they play in helping to tackle the terrorist threat.

The winter advertising campaign aims to encourage the public to remain vigilant, look out for suspicious behaviour and inform people how to report their concerns, providing a ‘whole society’ approach where police, security staff, retail workers and the public come together to minimise the chance of attacks and mitigate the impact they can have.

Neil Honnor said; “As people are enjoying the festive season they will see a visible security presence with police patrols and additional security in crowded places.

“Unpredictable deployments across the UK will also provide an additional layer of protection, with specially-trained uniformed and plain clothes officers working to deter, detect and disrupt hostile reconnaissance and encourage the public and businesses to be their extra eyes and ears and report anything that doesn’t feel right.

"We advise the public to remain vigilant and, if they see or hear something suspicious, trust their instincts and report it to police in confidence at https://act.campaign.gov.uk/gov.uk/ACT or 0800 789 321.  But if something is happening right now - dial 999.